München 1997 – scientific programme

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MP: Theoretische und Mathematische Grundlagen der Physik

MP 5: Quantenfeldtheorie

MP 5.6: Fachvortrag

Wednesday, March 19, 1997, 17:40–18:00, HS 110

Casimir energies for massive fields in the bag — •K. Kirsten and M. Bordag — Universität Leipzig, Institut für Theoretische Physik, Augustusplatz 10, 04109 Leipzig, (0341)9732427

The Casimir energy corresponding to a massive scalar (spinor) field with Dirichlet (MIT bag) boundary conditions on a spherical bag is obtained. The field is considered, separately, inside and outside the bag. The renormalization procedure that is necessary to apply in each situation is studied in detail, in particular the differences occurring with respect to the case when the field occupies the whole space. The final results contain several constants that experience renormalization and can be determined only experimentally. The non-trivial finite parts that appear in the massive case are found exactly, providing a precise determination of the complete, renormalized zero-point energy for the first time.